Fasteners such as nails and staples are commonly used in projects ranging from crafts to building construction. While manually driving such fasteners into a work-piece is effective, a user may quickly become fatigued when involved in projects requiring a large number of fasteners and/or large fasteners. Moreover, proper driving of larger fasteners into a work-piece frequently requires more than a single impact from a manual tool.
In response to the shortcomings of manual driving tools, power-assisted devices for driving fasteners into wood have been developed. Contractors and homeowners commonly use such devices for driving fasteners ranging from brad nails used in small projects to common nails which are used in framing and other construction projects. Compressed air has been traditionally used to provide power for the power-assisted devices. Specifically, a source of compressed air is used to actuate a cylinder which impacts a nail into the work-piece. Such systems, however, require an air compressor, increasing the cost of the system and limiting the portability of the system. Additionally, the air-lines used to connect a device to the air compressor hinder movement and can be quite cumbersome and dangerous in applications such as roofing.
Fuel cells have also been developed for use as a source of power for power-assisted devices. The fuel cell is generally provided in the form of a cylinder which is removably attached to the device. In operation, fuel from the cylinder is mixed with air and ignited. The subsequent expansion of gases is used to push the cylinder and thus impact a fastener into a work-piece. These systems are relatively complicated as both electrical systems and fuel systems are required to produce the expansion of gases. Additionally, the fuel cartridges are typically single use cartridges.
Another source of power that has been used in power assisted devices is electrical power. Traditionally, electrical devices have been mostly limited to use in impacting smaller fasteners such as staples, tacks and brad nails. In these devices, a solenoid driven by electrical power from an external source is used to impact the fastener. The force that can be achieved using a solenoid, however, is limited by the physical structure of the solenoid. Specifically, the number of ampere-turns in a solenoid governs the force that can be generated by the solenoid. As the number of turns increases, however, the resistance of the coil increases necessitating a larger operational voltage. Additionally, the force in a solenoid varies in relation to the distance of the solenoid core from the center of the windings. This limits most solenoid driven devices to short stroke and small force applications such as staplers or brad nailers.
Various approaches have been used to address the limitations of electrical devices. In some systems, multiple impacts are used. This approach requires the tool to be maintained in position for a relatively long time to drive a fastener. Another approach is the use of a spring to store energy. In this approach, the spring is cocked (or activated) through an electric motor and gearbox. Once sufficient energy is stored within the spring, the energy is released from the spring into an anvil which then impacts the fastener into the substrate. The force delivery characteristics of a spring, however, are not well suited for driving fasteners. As a fastener is driven further into a work-piece, more force is needed. In contrast, as a spring approaches an unloaded condition, less force is delivered to the anvil.
Flywheels have also been used to store energy for use in impacting a fastener. The flywheels are used to launch a hammering anvil that impacts the nail. A shortcoming of such designs is the manner in which the flywheel is coupled to the driving anvil. Some designs incorporate the use of a friction clutching mechanism that is both complicated, heavy and subject to wear. Other designs use a continuously rotating flywheel coupled to a toggle link mechanism to drive a fastener. Such designs are limited by large size, heavy weight, additional complexity, and unreliability.
Power-assisted impacting tools incorporate a motor to provide the energy which is used to impact a fastener. The motor is typically a motor which incorporates brushes. Brushed motors are effective for generating a rotational torque from a direct current power source. Brushed motors, however, occupy a large amount of space, resulting in a bulky tool. Moreover, the brushed motors are relatively heavy and inefficient. Additionally, brushed motors generate sparks which are not desired in dusty environments and the brushed motors are relatively inefficient. Lastly, a brushed motor requires a speed reducing mechanism (i.e. belt or gearbox) that couples the armature shaft to the flywheel in order to provide the necessary torque to accelerate the flywheel.
What is needed is an energy storage system which can be used to control delivery of impacting force in a device which is reliable and safe and does not increase the number of mechanical switches. What is needed is a system which can be used to provide impacting force in a device using low voltage energy sources. What is further needed is a system which is reliable and does not require a continuously rotating flywheel. A further need exists for a device which exhibits improved efficiency, and which is lighter, or smaller, or quieter than a tool incorporating a brushed motor.